About Eastside Prep

Eastside College Preparatory School is an independent school in East Palo Alto, California, for 6th-12th graders who have significant financial need and would be the first in their families to go to college. All students attend the school on a full scholarship. Eastside piloted Khan Academy in its 6th, 7th, and 8th grade math classes year and pioneered strategies to integrate Khan Academy into the curriculum through individualized units, in which students learned content at their own pace.

Eastside logo

About Eastside Prep's implementation:

Aim of using KA: Fill in gaps in core math skills and allow for personalized and interactive learning

Who implemented: 6-8th graders who have significant financial need and are the first in their families to go to college

Implementation model: Station rotation that evolved to interactive classroom

About Eastside's 6th grade classroom

Suney Park

6th grade teacher Suney Park initially started with a station rotation model in her class, with a focus on the importance of peer tutoring and collaborative teamwork.

How Suney used Khan Academy initially: Suney looked at Khan Academy data each night to determine which students attended which station for the day. Stations were divided into three areas: two stations focused on Khan Academy - one for the current unit and one for students finished with the current unit, and in a third session Suney led a small group session with the students who needed additional help with the current lesson. At the whiteboard, there was a list to facilitate peer tutoring. On the left was the column, "I need help with" where the student with a question would write their name and the exercise, and on the right was a "I can help" column where the peer tutor would fill in their name when the request was completed.

How Suney's implementation has evolved: Suney initially allowed for students to move at their own pace within a unit. However, in the following school year, she allowed for complete self-pacing. To track progress, she has colorful signs hanging in her room. One for DecimalLand, another for FractionsLand and so on; each sign has clothespins on them. Each clothespin has a student's name, and the sign the clothespin is on indicates the student's progress. This allows for a very easy visualization of how her students are doing.